AI essays are breaking the admissions trust test
A study of nearly 7,500 applications found that AI-written essays were common and often improved the writing. Essays that appeared AI-written also faced a penalty. The essay is becoming a weaker signal, while admissions offices are still guessing how to respond.
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What the source reports
Calvin Isley, Johann D. Gaebler, and Sharad Goel studied nearly 7,500 admissions applications. They found that AI-written essays were common. The essays often showed stronger writing, but applications appeared to face a penalty when the writing was detected as AI-made. The findings expose a trust problem for admissions offices. The essay is becoming a weaker signal, while the response remains uncertain.
Original source
- Title
- AI-written admissions essays are widespread but penalized
- Author
- Calvin Isley, Johann D. Gaebler, Sharad Goel
- Publication
- arXiv
- Date
- Tuesday, September 22, 2026